Apparatus for automatically discharging guns war-ships.



Patented Aug. i, |899.

J. A. ROWE. APPARATUS FOR AUTUMATICALLY DISCHARGING GUNS 0F WAH' SHiPS.

(Application led Mar. 28, 1899.) '(No Modal.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

Patentd-Aug. l, 1899. J. A. Rowe. APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY DISCHARGING GUNS 0F WAR SHIPS.

(Application filed Mar. 2B, 1899,)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

(No Model.)

'UNITED .lUlIN ANTHONY l'tlVlC, OF LONDON, TZNGLANI).

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY DiSCHARGING GUNS F WAR-SHIPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 629,819,\dated August 1, 1899.

Application tiled March 28,1899. Serial No. 710.795. (No model.)

"o (LU whom, t muy concern:

Be it known that l, J onN ANTHONY Ro WE, of G8 llampton road, Forest Gate, London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus forAutomatically Discharging the Guns of tVar-Ships while the Vessels are Laborin g Among WVaves, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for enabling the guns of a war-ship rolling and pitching among the wavesof the sea to be accurately and automatically discharged at the moment when the war-ship is upright or at any desired predetermined an gle from the upright position.,

According to this invention the guns are fired by 'means of au electric current passing in a circuit which is normally open, but which is closed by the operation of the apparatus when the ship is upright or, if desired, when ,the ship has reached a predetermined angle fin its rolling movement.

'out the invention.

'section on the line, II Il of Fig. l.

-f In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is t central longitudinal vertical section illusating an apparatus constructed in accordance with the preferred manner of carrying Fig. 2 is a vertical cross- Fig. Il is a vertical cross-section on the line III III of Fig. l, looking toward the right-hand end of that igurc. In liig. 3 a gun is shown in side elevation on a considerably smaller scale. Fig. 4 illustrates a portion of Fig. l on a larger scale. l

1 is a cylindrical submerged float arranged With its axis lying horizontally in the liquid 2"*Qontained in a cylindrical easing 2, which isjalvso situated with its axis lying horizontally.w The float 1 and its contaiping casing 2 do'not bear against each other at any part. The casing 2 is fitted at each of its ends with a cover 3, formed with a central aperture el, through which extends a spindle 5, projecting from the corresponding end of the float. There is no Contact between the spindles 5 5 and the sides of the apertures i 4 in the end covers 3 3. (See Fig. -I.)

The liquid 2, in which the float l is submerged and which is preferably a practically non-freezing liquid, such as a solution of chlorid of calcium in water or other suitable solution, completely fills up the casing 2. it

is prevented from escaping through the aforesaid central aperture 4 in the covers 3 by means of sleeves 6, of rubber or other suitable flexible material which is impervious to water and which will allow of the loat l and casing 2 oscillating to and fro relatively to each other on each side of the vertical. The sleeves 6 are attached at each end in a watertight manner respectively to the cover 3 and the spindle 5.

7 is a light net of suitable material Iitted over each rubber sleeve G to prevent undue expansion arising from internal pressure. On each spindle 5, at or near its cud, there is fixed a disk S, to the lower part of which is fitted a small Weight 9, which, with other considerations, serves to determine or regulate the period of oscillation of the float 1.

'lhe weight of the float 1 and its attachments is made exactly equal to the Weight of the liquid displaced by it, and in order to maintain this equality the temperature of the liquid should be kept constant, or where this is inconvenient the desired equality can be maintained by placing a greateror less number of removable disks or weights on the spindles 5 5. float and its attachments is arranged to be slight-ly below the geometrical center of the float, the exact position of the said center of gravity being determined bythe total Weight of the float, the amount of the small weight 9 above referred to, and the distance of said weight 9 from the center of the spindle. In-

stead of employing a weight 0, as above described, the same object can be attained by forming a hole or recess in the disk at the upper part ot' saine.

The casing 2 is carried on feet lO'lO, fixed to the deck ll orother suitable part of the war-ship and so that the float-spindles 5 5 lie fore and aft of the ship when the apparatus is intended to lire the broadsidc guns. WVhen the apparatus is to be used for firing the bow or stern guns, it must be arranged with the float-spindles 5 5 lying athwartships, so as to be operated by the pitching of the ship.

A pipe l2, formed with an expansion-chamber l2, is provided for filling the casing 2, and an aperture lil, normally closed by a screwplug 13, scrvgs for the purpose of emptying said casing.

The center of gravity ofthe IOO The float 1 being accurately balanced lin the liquid 2"L in the casing 2 does not require any support; but in order to secure accurate adjustment of the parts center holes 5a are 5 formed in the ends ot' the spindles 5 5, into which fit centers let 14, carried by strong brackets 15, fixed to the ships deck 11, as shown, or to a suitable overhead frame. There is not necessarily contact between the lo centers 14 and the spindles 5. Their use is to adjust the parts, and after the adjustment has been effected the centers 14 14 are pref` erably moved back by means of the screws 14 to the extent of, say, one thirty-second of r 5 an inch.

On each head center 14 there is titted an adjustable disk 16, adapted lto be turned by hand through a suitable angle and to whiclr is connected an insulated Wire 17, leading zo from one terminal of an electric battery X. Similarly, another insulated wire 18, leading from the other pole of the said battery, is attached to the disk 8, above described as being fixed to the Heat-spindle 5. The wires17 and 18 are not in metallic connection with the disks. 19 and 20 are projections or con-y tacts carried, respectively, by the two disks 8 and 16. They are insulatedt'rom the disks 8 and 16 by means of pieces of non-conductgo ing material 19 and 26, respectively, (or the disks may be made of insulating material, such as ebonite,) but are in metallic contact with the wires 18 and 17, respectively. They face each other in such relative positions that 3 5 so long as the ship is rolling or pitching at an angle with the vertical the said contacts 19v 20 will be situatedA apart and the battery-circuit 17 18 will remain'open; but as soon as the ship assumes an upright position the con- 4o tacts 19 2O will touch each other, and by closing the battery-circuit 17 18 will tire the gun or guns included in the said circuit.

In a ship 'fitted With broadside guns the battery-wires 17 and 18 at one end of the apparatus will discharge the starboard broadside and the battery-wires Iat the other'end the port broadside. The wires 17- and 18 are4 shown at only one end of the apparatus.

If it is desired to keep the gun or guns in 5o the horizontal still-water position and to re them when the requisite elevation or depression for the range is obtained by the inclination of a rolling or pitching ship, as illus trated by Fig. 3, the adjustable disk 16 is' 5 5 shifted around through the requisite angle of elevation or depression, which can be read from a suitable scale 2l, aiiixed. t-o the supporting-bracket l5. Then on said disk 16 being xed temporarily in place at said angle 6o by means of a set-screw 22 or the like contact between the projections 19 2O on the disks 8 and 16 does not take place when the ship is upright, but when the axis ot the gun 23 is at a predetermined angle above or below its' normal horizontal level. For example, if it be desired to discharge the gun 23 (which has been laid horizontally along the line A A when the ship was upright) automatically by means ot' this apparatus when the gun is at an angle a-say ten degrees, as

shown in Fig. ri-the disk 16 must be turned.

through the angle a. (ten degrees) andv fixed in this position. Then when the gun is caused by the rolling or pitching,r of. the ship to coincide with the line B B the gun will be discharged. 4

Instead of the wires 17 18 being connected, respectively, with the disks 16 and 8 they may be connected to any other suitable partsso long as they cause the circuit to be closed whenthe ship is upright or reaches a predetermined angle.

When the apparatus is intended to effect the discharge of an all-around-firing gun or of a turret-gun, the apparatus must be moved synchronously with the revolving gun platform or turret. In such cases the entire apparatus is rigidly secured to a bed-plate, from which projects a vertical spindle, by means of which revolving or oscillating motion can be given to the apparatus in an automatic manner by leading an endless chain over two similar wheels, one on the spindle of the bedplate and the other on a spindleof the gun platform or-turret, or by leading an endless rope over two similar pulleys, or by a control-shaft united by tooth-wheels on both spindles, or by other simple means.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, iso 1. In apparatus for automatically discharging the guns of a War-ship by means'of an electric current passing in a circuit in which the guns are included, a cylindrical float submerged ina casing Xed to part ofthe ship, said tloatand its attachments being equal to the weight ot' the liquid displaced by it and said float having spindles passing in a watertight manner through the ends of said casing, in combination with means connected with said spindles and operated by the 'angular change in the relative positions of said oat and said casing to manipulate the lelectric circuit and thereby tire the guns included in said circuit when the shi-p is upright or reaches a predetermined angle, substantially as set forth.

2. In apparatus for automatically discharging the guns of a war-ship by means 0f an electric current passing in a circ it in which the guns are included and which s normally open but which is closed to fire the guns when the war-ship is upright' or in a predetermined position relativelyA to the horizontal; -the com# bination of a casing fixed to a'ship'and having coaxial apertures in two opposite vertical ends, liquid filling said casing, a cylindrical fro iioat submerged horizontally in said liquid having two coaxial horizontal spindles proj ectin g respectively from its said vertical ends through said coaxial apertures without touching same, means for preventing the liquid from escaping through said coaxial apertures, and means operated by theangular change in the relative position of said lioat and said casing to close the electric circuit spindles projecting respectively from its said vertical ends through said coaxial 'apertures without touching same, means for preventing the liquid from escaping through said coaxial apertures, disks mounted on the' floatspindles and weighted so as to determine the period of oscillation of the float, disks adjustably fixed relatively to the ships deck, electric contacts mounted respectively on the floatspindle disks and the adj ustably-ixed disks and arranged to be in contact with each other i`n the predetermined firing position of the ships guns, and wires forming part of the elec tric circuit for firing the guns and connected respectively to said electric contacts, substantially as specified.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

OHN ANTHONY RoWE.v

Vitnes-ses:

J oHN C. MEWBURN, GEORGE C. BACON. 

